Thunder Touch posts win in Fall
Highweight
Stronach Stables’ THUNDER TOUCH (Gulch) surged to the front in
upper stretch and pulled away to earn a 1 1/4-length victory in
Sunday’s $111,600 Fall Highweight H. (G3) at Aqueduct. With
Rafael Bejarano in the saddle, the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained
sophomore was sent off the near 7-1 fifth pick in the nine-horse
field and returned $15.80, $7.90 and $5.10. He completed six
furlongs in 1:09 4/5 on the sloppy track.
Uncle Camie (Abaginone) set the pace through quick splits of :21
2/5, :44 1/5 and :56 4/5, but couldn’t hold off the rush of
Thunder Touch, who moved up along the outside three wide.
Papua (Louis Quatorze) held second by a half-length and gave
back $6.80 and $5.20 while ending the $94.50 exacta. Eavesdropper
(Kingmambo) paid out $11.80 at 33-1 for coming in a neck ahead of
Uncle Camie. The 3-7-5 trifecta was worth $1,202 and next across
the line came 2-1 favorite Medallist (Touch Gold), Primary
Suspect (Hennessy), Friendly Island (Crafty Friend), Don Six (Wild
Escapade) and Max’s Buddy (Irish River [Fr]).
Thunder Touch recorded his first stakes credit while making
his black-type bow in this one and moved his record to 8-4-1-1 to
go along with $164,750 in lifetime earnings. Bred in Kentucky by
Adena Springs, the chestnut colt is out of multiple stakes winner
Highland Vixen (Highland Ruckus) and counts stakes victor Thefull
Circle (Unbridled’s Song) as a half-brother.